1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of cultivating an Agaricus mushroom and more particularly Agaricus blazei.
The basidiomycetes used in the invention are the Agaricus blazei and they are hereinafter simply referred to as "the blazei mushrooms". The present basidiomycetes or the blazei mushrooms grow naturally in the fields and mountains of the Sao Jose do Rio Preto district located northwestwards of Sao Paulo city, Brazil and these basidiomycetes are eaten widely in the district.
The properties of the fruit body of the basidiomycete used in this embodiment will now be described.
The fruit body is formed into a conical shape (bell shaped) and includes a pileus whose external surface color is brown and a stipe having a white or milk-white color. The pileus grows to a size of 5 to 10 cm and the stipe grows to a size of up to 15 cm at the maximum. The edge and inner surface of the pileus are formed into conical shape and its radiating gills from a curled edge. The stipe is centrally attached, formed into a uniform diametral shape (the root is buldged) and has its surface formed into a conical shape with a white bloo, on it. The fruit bodies grow in a scattered manner. Also, the dried fleshly part tastes sweet more or less and delicious.
It is well known that the fungi belonging to the same genus as the present basidiomycetes or the blazei mushrooms include Agaricus bisporus which have been cultivated commercially and generally known and sold in the name of "mushroom" and they are hereinafter simply referred to as mushrooms.
The commercial cultivating method of the mushrooms is to inoculate spawns of the match-box size which are arranged at intervals of about 30 cm in a fungus nursery made of a compost or the like. The cultivation is effected at a temperature of 18.degree. to 22.degree. C. and humidity of 60 to 70% and the spawns are covered up with soil on the 10th day or so after the inoculation of the spawns. When this occurs, a thick bed of aggregated fungi (fungus aggregation bed) is formed at the boundary between the fungus nursery and the covering-up soil and fruit bodies grow from the bed. The optimum thickness of the covering-up solid has been considered to be between 2.5 and 3 cm with the result that greater thicknesses excessively reduce the development of fruit bodies and the developed fruit bodies have elongated stalks thus making them workless commercially.
However, the blazei mushroom used in this invention are cultivated by a method which is entirely different from the cultivation method of the mushrooms of the same genus. In other words, the inventors have found out a number of differences in the form of development between the blazei mushrooms of this invention and the mushrooms of the same genus and also the form of development of the blazei mushrooms has been studies thereby establishing the optimum cultivation conditions. In addition, research works have been carried out earnestly with a view to reducing the period of time required for harvesting and increasing the yield thereby discovering the invention.